Hi and thanks for visiting the best Ravens forum on the planet. You do not have to be a member to browse the various forums, but in order to post and interact with your purple brethren, you will have to **register**. It only takes a couple of minutes. You can also use your Facebook account to log in....just click on the blue 'FConnect' link at the very top of the page.

can you imagine the amount of training it takes to be elite in a sport like swimming for about 12 years...and all the different events he participates in?

I'm not saying its easy. I'm not saying he don't have to really get at it. The guy is incredible at what he does.
But could you imagine if he kept training the way he did for the 2008 games? He's just missing with half assing it, I want him to have the drive to want more golds, not just metals.
Something about him saying he didn't train as hard and his teammates busting his chops rubs me the wrong way. If he wasn't into it, he shouldn't have went.

Phelps gets a lot of endorsement money from the Olympics. Your average olympian won't see a dime, those are the ones Kobe is talking about. Some countries are paying their athletes now that the games no longer bar professionals.

Kobe was talking about the basketball team should be paid. Them guys have plenty of green to throw around.
Phelps is not getting paid to swim in a certain amount of events. He is going to make his money off his name and what he did in 2008.

Re: OT - Congrats Michael!!

Originally Posted by Bufflehead

can you imagine the amount of training it takes to be elite in a sport like swimming for about 12 years...and all the different events he participates in?

At his level genetics is more important that training. Just think, if he didn't have those long rangy arms or funky looking head or a normal sized neck he wouldn't be able to cut the water nearly as well. He would just be a mere mortal then, no matter how hard he trained. Training only gets you so far.

Look at Shaquille O'Neil. You think he was the most dominant center for a decade because he worked harder than everyone else? The guy couldn't hit a free throw if his life was on the line. He was just bigger and more agile for his size than anyone. Genetic freak.

Re: OT - Congrats Michael!!

In the 4x100 relay, where Lochte was caught from behing and the Americans ended up with the silver, there were 32 swimmers in the pool, each one swimming 100m freestyle. Freestyle sprinting has never been Phelps' specialty.

Phelps, you will recall, swam second in the team event. You may not recall that he swam his "split" in 47.15 seconds, the fastest of all four Americans and I believe one of the four fastest splits by anyone competing in that event.

He may have started training relatively late, but those hinting, suggesting, saying that his heart is not in it are absolutely wrong.

You would expect the person with the most medals ever to be a swimmer or a gymnast, so it's no surprise that the former record holder was gymnast Larissa Latynina, who won her final medals in Tokyo in 1964, almost 50 years ago. Still, there have been many great swimmers and gymnasts since then, and only Phelps was able to dominate in so many different events over three Olympics.

Genetics, of course, are part of it. But you can have Minute Bol's body and never dominate basketball, and you can have Elvis Grbac's (Jared Gaither's, Scott Mitchell's, etc.) body and never dominate football.

I don't like making these lists and saying one person is "the best xxx ever," but I will say the dude deserves all the accolades he's getting and more. As the AP article about him is putting it, "For Michael Phelps, Beijing was about perfection — and London is about history."

Over twelve years the guy proved he was the best swimmer in the world - or one of the three best - in a host of different swimming events, each with its own crew of specialists. That's the kind of thing they build statutes to commemorate.

Last edited by festivus; 08-01-2012 at 03:14 PM.

Festivus

His definitions and arguments were so clear in his own mind that he was unable to understand how any reasonable person could honestly differ with him.

Re: Ot - congrats michael!!

You have to compete in 10 events to win a medal for the decathalon. They don't give out extra medals for swinging your arms in a different direction.

Track and field has long been the dominant sport of the olympics. It is the one where you see the best athletes compete.

No one cares about swimming unless their boat is getting ready to sink.

Wow. You are so far off base on all of your comments it is comical. How many track events do you watch on Tv. Swimming get's better ratings that track and field.

The measure of the best Olympian can only be judged by medical count and Phelps is going to end up as the best by a wide margin.

How is running and jumping more challenging than Butterfly, freestyle, backstroke and breast stroke. Winning the decathlon means you are good but not the best in many events. The equivalent would be to win the decathlon while also winning medals in individual events. Decathletes are basically generalists.

Re: Ot - congrats michael!!

From the AP article that festivus posted:

"Phelps still has the 200-meter indivual medley today and Thursday, when he can even the score with Lochte, who beat him in the 400-meter IM on the first night of the meet; the 100-meter butterfly, his favorite stroke once more, on Thursday and Friday; and Saturday's 4x100 medley relay, the valedictory moment of an Olympic career like no other".

After getting beaten by .05 of a sec in the 200m butterfly (his signature race) it would not surprise me one bit if he wins gold in the upcoming 100m fly. If he pulls it off, I believe that will give him a Gold medal in the same event in three consecutive Olympiads, a feat that has never before been achieved by any athlete in any sport.

Forget the trivialism of swimming and sinking boats, the genetics of Jared Gaither, the ocassional prick like demeanor, the liasson with MJ, or any other silly assed complaint about the guy.

The dude is American and he's making history.
His name is Phelps and he's accepted the mission. Root for him lol!

If you break the rules you can't make the rules.
- Remove Coach Tomlin from the NFL Competition committee.

Re: Ot - congrats michael!!

There is nothing "occasional" about his prick-like demeanor. Ask any bar owner, server or bartender in Fells Point.

I know for a fact he can't go into Max's anymore and there are a few other's he's been banned from too.

It's a great story, but his shit stinks too.

WARNING: This post may contain material offensive to those who lack wit, humor, common sense and/or supporting factual or anecdotal evidence. All statements and assertions contained herein may be subject to literary devices not limited to: irony, metaphor, allusion and dripping sarcasm.

Re: Ot - congrats michael!!

Originally Posted by Real Fan Dan

From the AP article that festivus posted:

"Phelps still has the 200-meter indivual medley today and Thursday, when he can even the score with Lochte, who beat him in the 400-meter IM on the first night of the meet; the 100-meter butterfly, his favorite stroke once more, on Thursday and Friday; and Saturday's 4x100 medley relay, the valedictory moment of an Olympic career like no other".

After getting beaten by .05 of a sec in the 200m butterfly (his signature race) it would not surprise me one bit if he wins gold in the upcoming 100m fly. If he pulls it off, I believe that will give him a Gold medal in the same event in three consecutive Olympiads, a feat that has never before been achieved by any athlete in any sport.

Forget the trivialism of swimming and sinking boats, the genetics of Jared Gaither, the ocassional prick like demeanor, the liasson with MJ, or any other silly assed complaint about the guy.

The dude is American and he's making history.
His name is Phelps and he's accepted the mission. Root for him lol!

That's not true. Other athletes did that before. If he wins he will be the first MALE SWIMMER to do that. And he can do it in the 100m fly and the 200m IM (but Lochte will probably win this one).

He is the Greatest swimmer of all time, and one of the Greatest Olympians and athletes of all time.

Re: OT - Congrats Michael!!

Originally Posted by Real Fan Dan

From the AP article that festivus posted:

"Phelps still has the 200-meter indivual medley today and Thursday, when he can even the score with Lochte, who beat him in the 400-meter IM on the first night of the meet; the 100-meter butterfly, his favorite stroke once more, on Thursday and Friday; and Saturday's 4x100 medley relay, the valedictory moment of an Olympic career like no other".

After getting beaten by .05 of a sec in the 200m butterfly (his signature race) it would not surprise me one bit if he wins gold in the upcoming 100m fly. If he pulls it off, I believe that will give him a Gold medal in the same event in three consecutive Olympiads, a feat that has never before been achieved by any athlete in any sport.

Forget the trivialism of swimming and sinking boats, the genetics of Jared Gaither, the ocassional prick like demeanor, the liasson with MJ, or any other silly assed complaint about the guy.

The dude is American and he's making history.
His name is Phelps and he's accepted the mission. Root for him lol!

While I generally agree with what your saying, I believe Carl Lewis won gold in long jump in 4 straight Olympics.

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

There is nothing "occasional" about his prick-like demeanor. Ask any bar owner, server or bartender in Fells Point.

I know for a fact he can't go into Max's anymore and there are a few other's he's been banned from too.

It's a great story, but his shit stinks too.

I don't think anyone is sticking up for his character. I guess my point is that if someone accomplishes something amazing, you can look past their being a bit of an idiot and/or prick. If he raped or murdered someone then yea I'd stop cheering for him, but I'm not aware of anything nearly that egregious.

Re: Ot - congrats michael!!

I think it's awesome and he is in the record books as the "the most decorated olympian of all time" despite some of these discussions on what sport is harder. Great to see a Baltimore guy achieve such high honors IMO.

All the more reason athletes are not role models, unless they make the decision to be one.

well said

WARNING: This post may contain material offensive to those who lack wit, humor, common sense and/or supporting factual or anecdotal evidence. All statements and assertions contained herein may be subject to literary devices not limited to: irony, metaphor, allusion and dripping sarcasm.

Re: OT - Congrats Michael!!

For anyone trying to say that it's just swimming and that the strokes aren't that much different to master at an elite level, I ask you this: If it's not that great of an accomplishment, how come nobody else has ever done it before? Nobody. Ever.

It's not that Phelps has been dominant - it's that he was been dominant in several different events against guys who are specialists in that event alone, and for several consecutive years. It's not that he's winning medals - he's winning mostly gold medals and still holds seven world records in different events.